COVID-19: 11 infectees in Chittoor had visited Chennai's Koyambedu market

They attributed the increase in the number of cases in Nellore and Chittoor to people who visited the Koyambedu market.
Crowded Koyambedu vegetable market on Saturday when residents thronged there after the government announced four-day intense lockdown | Martin Louis
Crowded Koyambedu vegetable market on Saturday when residents thronged there after the government announced four-day intense lockdown | Martin Louis

CHITTOOR: The Koyambedu market in Chennai, which become a hotbed of Covid-19 cases and turned several districts in Tamil Nadu into red zones, has affected Andhra Pradesh’s Chittoor district too.

As many as 11 infectees in Chittoor are traders who recently visited the market. At a review meeting held by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Saturday, Special Chief Secretary (Health) KS Jawahar Reddy and other officials told him the focus is on farmers and traders who visited the Koyambedu market and those who travelled from Chennai.

They attributed the increase in the number of cases in Nellore and Chittoor to people who visited the Koyambedu market.

Vegetable traders from Chittoor district do business at the Koyambedu market.

Many farmers, traders and truck drivers from bordering mandals such as Palamaner, V Kota and Brahmasamudram frequent the market.

Besides them, people from Mukalacheruvu, Nagari, Madanapalle, BN Kandriga, Varadaiahpalem, Nagalapuram and Satyavedu also went there after the lockdown was imposed.

With the surge in the number of positive cases, the district administration alerted local medical teams. When it was reported that cases were linked to the Koyambedu market, the district administration moved the V Kota agricultural market to Kuppam. Officials also listed Patrapalle, and V Kota market yard as red zones. “Truck drivers, farmers and traders in all mandals have been tested.

As many as 160 people were identified as primary contacts of an infectee in the district. About 80 samples were tested, and another 80 people will be tested. Around 1,000 primary and secondary contacts of infectees in the district will be tested in the next two days,” Collector Dr Narayana Bharath Gupta said.

The Medical and Health department has arranged for TruNAT machines to be supplied to the V Kota government hospital so that people in the region can be tested for coronavirus. 

With the surge in the number of cases in neighbouring Chittoor district, Kadapa Collector C Harikiran asked traders and hamalis, who brought fruits and other goods in trucks to the district from the Koyambedu market to contact the control room at 08562-245259 or 259179.

The Collector, in a statement released on Saturday, said people who come to the district from the Koyambedu market should be tested at the Covid-19 designated hospital FIMS at Kadapa or at the district hospital in Proddatur.

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